Harris, Geo-Broadcast Solution Boosts FM Coverage

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, January 24, 2013 | 3:18pm CT

Harris Broadcast and Geo-Broadcast Solutions (GBS) are touting a solution based on GBS' ZoneCasting strategy that will allow radio broadcasters to maximize market-wide signal penetration, even as the industry awaits FCC approval for ZoneCasting. MaxxCasting uses a network topology similar to the ZoneCasting architecture for targeted, over-the-air radio broadcasting, but instead focuses on simulcasting content to improve coverage which can be deployed today under existing regulations.

"We often hear from broadcasters looking to take advantage of this network topology as our ZoneCasting petition to deliver targeted content moves through FCC approval," said Geo-Broadcast Systems CEO Peter Handy. "The FCC rules currently allow FM stations to deploy boosters to fill in signal coverage gaps, broadcasting identical content on every booster. We have discovered that adding boosters to simulcast across the typical ZoneCasting topology can help broadcasters improve coverage."

"ZoneCasting was created to bring hyper-localization to over-the-air radio, bringing new advertising opportunities to local businesses and to allow stations of any size to better compete in a challenging landscape," added Harris Broadcast VP/Product Management and Strategy, Transmission Systems Richard Redmond. "But a high percentage of radio stations today would like to improve their reach. MaxxCasting allows them to fill out the signal area that they originally purchased, to the maximum of what the FCC allows through their broadcast licenses."

Harris has an exclusive, worldwide license to use and incorporate the GBS ZoneCasting software and hardware design into its Flexiva transmitters and Intraplex SynchroCast systems for deployment in ZoneCasting systems. Broadcasters would use these same tested and proven technologies for MaxxCasting systems.